Ink-well for desks



(No Model.)

W. M. BROWN.

I .INK WELLFOR DESKS. No. 43 1:0015.1 Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/VTO/i UNITED STATES PArnuLr Orrica WVALTER MORTON BROWVN, OF. ALBANY, NEWV YORK.

INK-WELL FOR DESKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,015, dated August 12, 1890.

. Application filed May 14, 1890- Serial No. 351,781- (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTEn filoRToN BROWN, a citizen of the Unit edStates, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ink-Tells for Desks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an ink-well for desks, tables, 850., especially for schools, that will be easily made and prevent as far as possible the evaporation of the ink, and one so constructed that when being filled the ink will absolutely indicate when enough has been placed in the well, although the well itself is not in View, and one in which no part of the cover shall protrude above the level of the desk-top at any time, whether the well is in use or not, and in which the cover is permanently immovable, having no swinging or rising or falling parts.

In the drawing, thefigure shows a vertical sectional view of a desk-top, an ink-well cover having a depression in it and an opening through it, and an ink-well, the upper edge or mouth of which is forced to contact with the under side of the cover by the elasticity of a spring, the depression in the cover sink? ing into the mouth of the ink-well.

The numeral 1 shows the desk-top; 2, the ink-well; 3, cup set on the free end of a spring, in which the ink-well rests; 4, spring to hold ink-well in contact with the cover; 5, cover with a depression in it; 6, opening in ove'rto allow of the pen being dipped in the inkwelli A full description is as followsz The ink-q well is preferably made of glass, and preferably has a wide mouth. A spring is prefer-,- ably used, whereby the well is made to enter the opening in the under side of the desk} upwardly, and its upward movement is preferably stopped by coming in direct contact with the under side of the cover; and the inkwell is preferably set in a cup on the end of the spring, and the other end is attached to the desk in any well-known manner. The

cover is preferably made of glass or metal,

and if metal is used, 0 grade five per cent.

aluminum bronze is preferred, because of its non-corrosive qualities. This cover has a depression at or near its center, and preferably cup-shaped, as shown, and this depression is made so that when the mouth of the well is forced or held against the bottom of the cover mouth of the well and the lowest point in the depression caused to lie below the extreme top of the ink-well. At the lowest point in the depression in the cover, preferably, an opening is made to pass a pen through and into the ink-well.

The cover is preferably made a trifle larger than the opening in the desk, so that when the coveris entered therein considerable force will be necessary to squeeze it into place, and it will be thus held there; but it may be fastened in any manner.

In setting the cover in the opening in the desk-top the entire upper surface is left flush with or below the top surface of the desk, that the free use of the desk-top shall not be impeded, and the cover is preferably made so as to be immovable-i. a, it is permanently fastened in its opening, but so as to be unattached to the ink-well or any of its parts, and it has no swinging or rising and falling parts necessary to be swung round or raised or lowered in order to operate the Well. If desired, a cork maybe placed in the pen-hole, but its upper end should never rise above the top surface of the cover or desk.

The operation is as follows: The ink-well being in position with its cover, as shown, the

well is charged by pouring the ink through the hole in the cover preferably, and as the ink-well fills before the ink can rise and flow over the sides of the well and into the desk it must first rise through the pen-hole in the cover and fill the cup-like depression in the cover, and the person filling the well seeing the ink risingthrough the pen-hole will know that .the well is filled as much as it should but a small opening in the cover, notwithstanding it is or may be constantly open, evaporation of the ink takes place with extreme slowness.

As there are no movable parts to the cover, it is noiseless, and the cover is never in the way and never obstructs the free use of the desk-top, Whether the ink-well is in or out of use.

When the well needs cleaning, the spring is bent down, the Well removed and cleansed and put back into place.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim is 1. An ink-well entered upwardly in an opening in a desk or table from the under side of said opening and removably retained there by upward pressure continuously applied from below the table or desk top, and having a stationary cover entered in an opening in the desk or table, the entire upper surface of said cover lying permanently flush with or below the top surface of the desk or table top, said cover having a depression in it adapted to sink into the mouth of the well and having an opening therein, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a desk or table having an opening in it, of an'ink-well and cover, the cover having a depression in it and an opening therein, said cover being permanently secured in the opening, the upper surface of said cover being permanently flush with or below the top surface of said desk,

,that the top thereof may be free from 0bst-ruction on account of said cover, said inkwell being entered in said opening upwardly from the under side of said desk or table and retained there and in such manner that the depression in the cover 7 will sink into the mouth of the well, as and for the purposes as herein substantially described.

8. An ink-Well entered andremovably held in an opening in a desk-top, and a cover therefor, said cover having an opening therein, that a pen may be dipped into the well, said cover being attached to the desk and its upper surface flush with or below the upper surface of the desk-top, that the desk-top may not be obstructed thereby, as and for the purposes shown and described.

4. An ink-well entered and removably held in an opening in a desk-top, and a cover therefor, said cover having a depression in it and an opening therein, said coverbeing. attached to the desktop and its upper surface permanently flush with the upper surface of the desk-top, thatthe free use of the desk-top may not be obstructed thereby, the depression sinking into the mouth of the well, substantially as described.

5. An ink-well entered and removably held in an opening in a desk-top, and a cover therefor, said cover having a depression in it and an uncovered opening therein, said cover being attached to the desk-top and its .upper surface permanently flush with the upper surface of the desk-top, that said top may not be obstructed thereby, the depression sinking into the mouth of the well, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\V ALTER MORTON BROWVN.

Witnesses:

A. M. TURNER, J. S. POWELL. 

